- “Good afternoon. Thank you very much for this invitation. Uh, I will present to you. I am a director in DG employment dealing with the funds, and I will present you, um, the proposal of the European Social Fund. Um, as you know, uh, we have, um, uh, the we have support to the union of. We have very, um, many social issues going on at the moment. It's a very major transition. The three major transitions, actually the green transition, the digital transition and the demographic transitions, which are really reshaping the world of work. The skill needs, the composition of families, the life trajectory of people and our societies. And we believe we think that investing in upskilling and reskilling, in childcare, in affordable housing, in long term care, is essential to improve lives across Europe and to achieve social cohesion. So supporting people and strengthening European social model are really fundamental objectives that we have. Now these social objectives in the new Multiannual Financial framework are financed in different instruments. Firstly, the national and regional partnership plans, which includes also the European Social Fund and also will integrate the Social Climate Fund, which is currently outside the MFF, but ideally it would be integrated from 2028. Then we also have the EU facility, which is the allows us to use spend the union actions to use it for the union actions, for example for social innovation or the social window of Investeu.”
EU expenditure on social policy · Youth employment & training · EU competences on social policies
- “And it depends on the each member state's institutional arrangements, but also the important how they want to how they I mean, it depends how they want to organize it. Just to say that this is not so completely different from how it is now, because also now there are quite a few countries that have multi fund programs. So they basically have regional development fund and social fund program through a single program. And there are also countries where, for example, um, the regional development fund is programmed at regional level, but the social fund is programmed at national level, for example. So it's not completely different from the way it is now. I think I may have already talked too long. Uh, so is that the timing? Okay, sorry, I will go fast now. Uh, so, uh, just to be clear that, um, so I think I'm going to I said all this already. Um, and so the key objective of the European Social Fund is to support quality and employment, education and skills, and social inclusion. And this is article two B in the proposal, but also to protect and strengthen democracy in the Union.”
Funding for vocational training · Cohesion and rural funding · Youth employment & training
- “Thank you. Um, is it possible to put up my slides again? Because just to identify a couple of things if possible. In the meantime, thank you for your questions. And I'm sorry I did not explain myself very well. Um, so the I think it is important to talk a lot to this to tackle this issue of the performance regulation, the performance regulation. I mean already now we have performance indicators in all the legislation that we are doing. Okay. So social fund has performance indicators for example for example how many people have been put to work. You know, how many people have undergone a training. How many food packages have been have been distributed? Okay, so these kind of indicators already exist and are used. The novelty is a single set of indicators across all the projects. For example. Now it is possible that Erasmus does some training and it is ticked in Erasmus and then the European Social Fund or some training and it is ticked in, in, in the in, in social fund. But these two are slightly different definition of indicators and cannot be put together. So now in the new process we will have a single set of indicators. That is why I meant we go from 5000 to 900. These 900 include everything. They are not all social. The social will be 50 or something like that. Now what happens is that there are these coefficients.”
EU expenditure on social policy · Cohesion and rural funding
- “If the 14%, the 14% is calculated excluding Cap completely and the maritime completely. So any activity which is, I don't know, support to poor farmers is not included. Uh, and uh, but and the Social Climate Fund is also not included. On the other hand, what is included is catalysts. So the loans the if you calculate that the loans are all also taken up and you do 14% across all that amount, you arrive at 100 billion like it is now. This is for the NRP. The objective, the the ticking of the boxes of social will apply to the whole budget. And but the the obligation of reaching 40% on social is only for the NRP. So this I hope. But otherwise I can try to explain that again, because I admit it's a bit complicated to explain because it's different, but it's not so complicated. Actually, it is a simplification because we have the same definitions across the budget. Now on another point on performance orientation, on performance, all the now All the indicators. As I said already, all the funds have performance indicators already, but the payments are not based on the base of the performance of the performance, but they are based made on the basis of the real cost incurred or in the case of the social fund.”
EU expenditure on social policy · Size of EU budget · Cohesion and rural funding
- “Quite often it's actually simplified cost options. Options. This in the current ESF plus we will have 50% of the spending on simplified cost options or financing not linked to costs. And in the future we are moving to 100% financing not linked to cost. This is what we are talking about. It's not completely different and it is not RF. We have learned from the RF. For example, on the question on the linking investment and reforms, we will not have the reimbursement of if a reform is which should be done at national level is not done, then that impacts the investment at regional level. This is not happening because there will be a separated basket if you want for the reform payments. And so this I said I think that so when we talk about flexibility there is more flexibility because there's not exact amounts for every amount. Every area there are there are, there is there are minimum amounts I'm talking about in general of the NRP, not only the social. And it is possible that some countries will end up investing a bit more in, let's say, typical operations of regional policy that would be allocated to them or on social or things like that. So there is more flexibility to choose what the country thinks is best for them. But I have to say in bilateral discussion with the Commission and the Commission will I mean, things that we consider important.”
Cohesion and rural funding · Conditions to access EU budget
- “Of course, we will continue to insist, but we know that the issue, for example, of youth unemployment is a very big problem in some countries, but it isn't in other countries. Why should we insist on someone on countries to spend on youth unemployment if that is not an issue in that country? Um. Yeah, I think I just have one more question. If I'm wrong, please come back. Uh, which is the issue of supporting people with disability. We have we will continue indeed to be able to support people with disability and in particular, their independent living. And actually, on this point, I think things this is one of the positives of this new architecture, which allows a better synergy because before basically the financing of the infrastructure adapted infrastructure, because you still need some sort of adaptation to infrastructure, even if people don't live in institutions they live in, in houses, let's say. But you need some adaptation. So this would have been financed by the regional fund and services would have been financed by the social fund. So actually this creates synergies because it's the same fund which is allowed, you know, allow to, to um, to address together all the problems that uh, that uh, uh, that let's say getting people with disability to live independently have to be addressed. Thank you.”
Cohesion and rural funding · Youth employment & training · EU policy on disability inclusion & accessibility
- “Okay. I'm going to start first with the addressing the doubts on the future. Just to be clear, there is absolutely no intention that the vulnerable groups are not any more targets in the future. Exactly the same would remain. And as I said before, the difference is simply on the management mode whether to go for direct stay in direct management or go on shared management. I mean, the commission has replied this also in no uncertain terms. Also, in the discussions in the Council on Earmarking, someone asked about earmarking and because because indeed the NP, there is not much earmarking. But the idea that everything is together, but actually the Social Climate Fund is earmarked because it continues to be financed by external outside revenues. So it's not part of the budget. So in the common sense. So it is. So this money is reserved for the Social Climate Fund. It is not merged. The money the envelope is not merged in the NP. Okay. I hope I've been clear. The focus as I said, remains on the vulnerable groups in whatever system I. This issue of vulnerable groups remains. To be honest, the targeting of the funds is one of the main discussions that we're having with the member states to ensure that it is actually targeted to the groups that are most affected by ETS. Two and that and and the reason why we don't think direct income support is a panacea is because we need to have investments which reduce the cost. To be concrete, poor families live in housing, which is of bad quality, very badly isolated. And they have or have more expenditure on, on uh, on energy than, than, than they should have.”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme · EU expenditure on social policy · Energy performance of buildings
- “This can be maximum 37.5% of the plans, and overall we are discouraging this kind of measures because these are just a plaster. I mean, they don't actually affect the structural causes of the risk of energy and transport poverty for people. So we want to have that. There are structural measures, but it may make sense in some cases that there is a passing through a phase of uh, of um, uh, income, direct income support. And indeed, we expect this direct income support to be decreasing through time, through the years of implementation of the fund. So if we look at the next slide, we can talk a bit more about the implementation model. The Commission has published a has published a. A guidance note which came out on the 9th of October, which explains it's public so you can look at it. But I'll make an easy summary for you on how we intend to implement the Social Climate Fund. It is based on a performance model similar to the Recovery and Resilience Facility. But we, as we believe we have learned the lessons of the problems in the Recovery and Resilience facility. So it is still based on performance based payments. So the member states have to define milestones and targets, and when they are achieved, we will pay. But each measure and investment has a dedicated payout value set out ex-ante. And then we will pay each one on the basis of each one.”
Energy transition (state support) · Minimum income harmonisation at EU level
- “Sorry. Yes. The two countries which have submitted plans are Sweden and Latvia. And then we are negotiating with practically all the other ones. Uh, and as I said, these discussions that we're having, I mean, that I was I'm telling you now is what we are discussing with them, and we want, uh, each country, not, as I said, not only this country but within each country. Schemes which make sense given also the different territories, the different situation. And that's what we are negotiating. So that's why also there is a delay because it's the first time we do this. Also from the side of the member states, it's different ministries that are involved. It's not always the same ministry. So it's a bit also at the level of the member states complex. But this is what we are working both sides very hard to ensure that we have plans that can be actually successful. Thank you.”
EU expenditure on social policy · European Semester (social dimension) · Youth employment & training
- “Actually, someone else also, I think before had made this point about the eligibility and the risk of eligibility. I mean, of course, the regulation is more it's not so general as you seem to imply, but it doesn't go specifically into the details. Then the then the the at the level of the operation. This does not go at the level of the operations at the level of the operations. There will be discussion with the Commission on the eligibility, on the milestones and targets and uh, and uh, and uh, so it will be it will be one of the things that have to be decided at the beginning before actually launching a problem, that it's very clear what the rules of eligibility are, because indeed, there have been many cases, uh, in the past that, uh, that, uh, the that there have been problems with the eligibility of the measures. I mean, it is, but it was already a problem. It's not we are not creating this problem. Actually, we're trying to solve it.”
Cohesion and rural funding · Conditions to access EU budget
- “Um, and another let's say change compared to the RF is that there is co-financing of 25% across the board for all member states. Um, now, what is happening now? Member states are a different level of preparations. We could put them in three categories. There are some about some countries where are quite advanced. They already have informal draft plans. There are other countries which have, let's say, collection of measures, what they intend to do, but they don't really have it all together in a plan yet and a complete vision. They have some matches. So these I would call medium level of advancement. And then there are other member states which either they are less advanced or they are not informing us. That's also possible. But this is what what we know, and we know that there are two points which are actually quite, um, challenging in the preparation of the plans. One is that member states have to estimate what will be the impact of ETS. Two, to be able to also to decide what measures to do. And this is actually quite difficult. And the other, which is quite difficult, is to actually target, I mean, really identify who are the vulnerable households. And as I said at the beginning, it is important that the fund is really addressing specifically the impact of the ETS two on vulnerable households. So it's not all vulnerable households.”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme · Carbon leakage support
- “In a way. It is only those that have been impacted by the ETS. Two Another, I would say improvement compared to the concerns, the role of regional and local actors. They we have been insisting that they are consulted, uh, quite substantially. Uh, not necessarily the same that you would consult in regional policy, but for example, cities. The big difference is the rural versus urban setting. I mean, the vulnerable groups for transport may be at more typically in the rural areas, the vulnerable group may be more in big apartment blocks, um, which are not energy efficient, which are in the city. So there are different ways in which the funds may impact the ets2 may impact for regional, local, um and urban and rural areas, which is why we insist that the member states, I mean, the central level does quite a big consultation at regional level, at local level with all the relevant stakeholders, and this will be assessed as part of the plans when we look at them eventually. So the the member states are organising a public consultations on this. We are actively have been actively supporting the member states already for for quite some time. Uh, started with starting with regular meetings of the council group on the Climate Action expert group, but specifically on the Social Climate Fund. We also had a project with the technical um support instruments, where ten member states took advantage to to have this, this um technical support instrument to support them.”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme · Cohesion and rural funding · EU policy on urban development
- “The revenues are for the member states are simply revenues. The part that goes to the commission will be spent on the Social Climate Fund. But for the member states, it is simply revenues. Uh, so to uh, specifically so it depends on the question on the competitiveness. It's a question of how you see competitiveness. I mean, we believe that giving a push on may all of us, the whole of Europe, become more energy efficient is is a good measure for competitiveness for Europe, given that Europe does not have own energy sources, and we have to more mostly buy them abroad. So one one question is, of course, we try to improve, to increase renewables and the energy that we can produce at home, but the other way is becoming more energy efficient. So from this point of view, I think the Social Climate Fund helps moving in this direction, which is beneficial for the competitiveness of Europe. I think I can stop there, but happy to answer more questions if you want.”
Energy (green transition) · Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme · Energy efficiency
- “Um, thank you very much. And thank you very much. Honourable member, Mrs. Elizabeth Solomon, for your report. We we really find your amendments very constructive. And honestly, we're in generally in favour of them. Uh, we agree, uh, certainly with the importance of highlighting the role of the social partners in particular, as designing and implementing the measures. We agree with the importance of social dialogue and for the requirement of enterprises that undergo restructuring to respect European and national laws, in particular concerning formation of workers. Um, we agree that there is a problem with the geographical use of EGF. I've explained it before in this room, and and we certainly are in favour of increasing communication activities so that it is more visible. Although, as I also said, there are some countries where they have enough, um, uh, allocation from other funds to, to not to need so much. Uh, the specific fund of the EGF, um, and um, and then on the issue, which is perhaps more controversial, we also agree on the importance of including upstream and downstream stream, um, uh, suppliers and of the so to ensure that we cover the whole value chain here, the problem is more, um, really practical. So if we can find a solution that can actually be implemented, we would be very happy with it. The point is that when normally used EGF, it is about the money is given to the is goes through the public sector, who can then um provide support to the whole affiliate. Here we're thinking of uh giving uh the, the the support would be given directly to the company, and therefore the company would have to be entrusted with the responsibility also of supporting the failure somehow, so that it's more an issue of implementation rather than an issue of, um, disagreement on substance, which if we can find a way to make it work, we are very, very welcome also this amendment. Thank you very much.”
EU regulation on worker representation in company decisions · European Globalisation Adjustment Fund · EU policy on forced redundancies
- “Each country is defining they're using their definition of vulnerable groups. And we are very careful, though, in working with them on making sure that it is actually very targeted. So people have to be vulnerable and also they have to be vulnerable because of energy poverty or transport poverty. So it's a it is not exactly overlapping with, for example, people which are considered poor in the country because there has to be specifically a problem of energy or transport poverty. So your example of someone who is has 80% of, you know that the, the, the ceiling is put at 80% of income is absolutely unacceptable. This is not not going to be accepted. Actually, if you want one, one of the main items of discussion with the member States is exactly about the real targeting of the groups. Very well. So for example, when I say it doesn't match with the poor because, for example, someone who lives in a rural area which perhaps is not so poor in the statistics, but the moment that you can only move with a car, then you have a problem. So that's that's what what I mean when we have to look at both aspects, uh, in that. Now as far as transport poverty is concerned, our preferred option is public transport.”
Road transport environmental policy · EU housing policy · Energy (green transition)
- “And this is quite useful in helping them in identifying, um, identifying the problem, the issue, which were problematic, as I mentioned before. So the impact of the ets2 and the identification of the vulnerable groups and presenting options, you know. Okay. It's a research project if you want, but it looks at policy options that the member states could consider. And then we have made various guidance notes. So first sorry, we made two notes on good practices, one on good practices on cost effective measures and investments, and another one on good practices for public consultations. Then we already issued a guidance note for the preparation of the Social Climate Fund. So we really give guidance on what we expect. What I mentioned up to now is a short summary of that and the guidance of the new do no significant harm. And we are still missing one guidance, which we hope to come out before the summer, which will be on the issue of, um, of the actual implementation of the funds. So, uh, designation of authorities for monitoring the implementation, the commitments and payments, the how to communicate, how to evaluate and overall about the the financial, the protection of the financial interests of the EU. So this is a very big sort of general point. And I would like now to pass the floor to my colleague Lenka.”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme · EU expenditure on social policy · Cohesion and rural funding
- “I am starting from from DG employment side. And then my colleague Lenka, whom you know well will do the the budget side. And thank you very much for the invitation. So as you as you rightly said, the Social Climate Fund was adopted in 2023 and the logic is very strictly in the name Social Climate Fund. It aims to address the social aspects to cushion the impact of higher energy and transport prices on vulnerable households and transport users, as well as on micro-enterprises. But climate, because it supports the green transition by alleviating the impact on the targeted vulnerable groups and it is very important that all the measures aim the way we see it to address both aspects. Now, how does this work? Member states have to prepare social climate funds. These social climate funds have to have two components and may have a third component. So the two, which are compulsory concern measures and investments on building to address energy poverty. Um, and measures and investments to address transport poverty. And then it is also possible, uh, to to have direct income support. But it is very clear that this direct income support should be a temporary measure. While structural measures which address actual the energy efficiency and transport poverty, energy and transport poverty are addressed by structural measures. It is the key requirement of the fund is to address, uh, to target principally vulnerable groups. Um, now, what makes this fund different? It is what we would call a second generation generation performance based fund.”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme · EU expenditure on social policy
- “That's clear in case public transport is not possible. The second best option are things like public transport on demand, for example, for rural areas or indeed socializing is a very good example. But it is possible that in some cases it makes sense to subsidize, uh, the, the, the buying of buying of electric car, but it is the worst option. We are not pushing for that option, but it is very specific for member states and in some cases they come with arguments which make sense. So because of this, we will not have EU wide definitions. We will also not really be able to publish. I mean, we will be able to say how many people have been supported, but will not be able to know how they are defined is different on each member States. Of course, all the plans will be available and the results of all the plans eventually will also be available. On the other hand, for the technical support instrument, we do not plan to publish the reports because they are sort of we consider them as sort of help for the member states in putting together their plans. So if you want there an instrument in the elaboration of the plans. And so for the moment, we had not planned to publish them.”
Road transport environmental policy · Energy transition (state support) · State Aid
- “So there's no bundling like there was in the ref. There is in the ref. Um, there is also a list of closed indicators that can be used for, uh, um, tracking output and results and, and payments. So the same list of indicators is the list that determines the same indicators for every country. I mean, they have a list from which they can choose, but this list is a closed list for determining the kind of indicator used for, um, for outputs, for targets and milestones, and for the milestones and targets that determine the payout value afterwards. And this, of course, allows us also a common, uh, monitoring system where we can see across the we can see across the, uh, the, the member states, uh, you know, different how they are. They can compare you can compare through the same indicators how member states are, not how they are doing, but what they have, what they have, the targets that they have put themselves. Let's put it that way. And we also, uh, encourage member states to use existing managing authorities. Uh, so this could be the managing authorities of the Resilience and Recovery Facility or the ones from the cohesion policy programmes. Uh, of course, the more you use an experienced facility which has also been audited by the commission, we don't have to repeat again the exercise of auditing the authority, which would delay the start. Uh, I don't know about a year.”
Cohesion and rural funding · European Globalisation Adjustment Fund · Conditions to access EU budget
- “It is based, if you want, on the model of the RF, but it has um, we have learned, if you want, from what we thought did not work so well on the in the RF. So it's, it's including, uh, measures and investments, milestones and targets, the estimated costs of the milestones of the measures and the investments the Commission will pay upon successful achievement of the milestones and targets. Um, and will not pay, will not look at real costs. Member states will put in payment requests twice a year only once. Um, the the milestones and targets are fully achieved. Um, the regulation itself establishes a list of indicators which are the common indicators for context outputs, context indicators, output indicators, result indicators. So all the milestones and targets are based on these indicators. So the the I mean the level is changes. But there is a harmonization of the indicators used by the member states, which was one of the requests that was made vis a vis um rf that, uh, there was not a harmonization on the indicators. And then we will set also there will be a payout value which is set for the targets and the milestones, so that everyone knows from the beginning what is the. So there is predictability in the implementation. The member States know what they will be paid for each milestone and target.”
Size of EU budget · Cohesion and rural funding · Conditions to access EU budget
- “And if we look at article three of the of the proposal which goes through the specific objectives. Basically, the specific objectives in section three C are the social. Let's say social objectives, uh, which cover uh, as I said before, employment, education and lifelong learning, lifelong acquisition of skills, social inclusion, fighting poverty and homelessness, facilitating access to services, addressing demographic change. But also on top of the social, there are also, let's say, the civil society objectives, uh, which can also be supported. And they are about the objectives about supporting civil society and social partners capacity, and also the objective on improving the administrative capacity, basically of member states at national, regional and local level, um, specificity, uh, let's say the the fundamental point is that the European Social Fund regulation complements the PNP regulation and it follows exactly the same rule. Also, in this sense, similar in a way how it was in the past with the Common Provision Regulation what the Social Fund regulation does. It adds more detail on the issue of supporting social innovation. Demographic transition, material deprivation, the partnerships between social partners and civil society, and the social, the the the ESF committee would will continue to exist as as you know, also we maintain the the the link with the European semester when I mentioned investment linking reforms and investment, when I mentioned when I think about reforms, we think about reforms which have been picked up, uh, in the European semester, which itself in the social area depend from the employment guidelines which are mandated yearly in article 148 of the treaty.”
EU expenditure on social policy · European Semester (social dimension) · EU competences on social policies
- “Uh, and also uh possible. It is also in the facility that there is what is called the budget cushion that allows spending on emerging challenges and priorities, to be honest. Also, other instruments allow investment in social objectives. For example, the European Competitiveness Fund will invest in skills across the four sectors that are covered. And of course, Erasmus continues to exist as a project, as a program which invests in education and training, but to focus on the European Social Fund and its place in the, uh, in the architecture that the Commission has proposed for next round, uh, with the European Economic, territorial, social, Rural and Maritime Sustainable Prosperity and Security Fund. So here you see, this, um, new framework integrates as I mean, you probably have heard this already from the side of regional development, but it integrates existing funds on regional development, on migration and borders and security. The social fund, the Common Agricultural Policies, and fisheries and Maritime. All of these will be programmed through a national level. I mean, through national regional partnership plans. And then there is a smaller part, which is the EU facility I was talking about, which allows the commission to do to finance actions at its at its own level. As you know, um, now perhaps to focus on the issue of, of the targeting, which is what is in the middle of the box in green and red, um, there is a targeting of 40% of climate and environmental, uh, actions.”
EU expenditure on social policy · Size of EU budget · Cohesion and rural funding
- “And there is also targeting of social at 14%. What does this mean? Uh, we have also proposed a performance regulation. The performance regulation is a single regulation to evaluate performance across all the all the new MFF, uh, bringing down indicators from some 5000 to some 900 and the same indicators are available, have to be applied across the whole budget. And these indicators they have, um, how can you say intervention Dimension fields where you can put 0%, 40%, or 100% to each measure for these two objectives the climate and the social. So for example, if you're investing in skills, that measure would have a code of 100%. Uh, if you're investing, I don't know, on building trains, that measure will have 0% social. And if you're building social infrastructure, that measure will have a code of 40%. And when you sum all of these codes, of all the measures, you arrive at an amount and we this amount should be 40%, 14%. Sorry for the, uh, national Regional partnership plans. So this is how we ensure, uh, financing in the social area. Um, as you know, I'm sure already. It is, uh, the idea of these plans is also to link reforms and investments. You will also already know that the funding will be, um, that we are trying to improve, uh, to make things much simplification, to have payments, uh, much faster that we are moving towards a performance based, uh, way of paying and that also we have included various, uh, parts of flexibility as far as, uh, the plan itself, it remains a multi-level governance, uh, where the plan, the plan itself will can have regional chapters and can have sectoral chapters, uh, or both.”
EU expenditure on social policy · Cohesion and rural funding
- “Every operation that is done will have to say what it is about, and it's saying what it is about. It ticks boxes if you want of indicators. These indicators are already all predefined in the annex of the performance regulation. They're all there already. For example number of people trained, the number of employment created, etc.. And this is how uh so yeah, thank you very much for the slide. Uh, so. This is if we look these are, these are the objectives that will be covered by the European Social Fund, these objectives, everything that is on this slide. Employment, education and education. Skills fighting poverty, homelessness, access to services demographic change. Civil society support and support to public administration are all things which can be financed by the social fund, and are all things which will have a marking of the coefficient of 100%. Most of them will have 100% and for example, associated infrastructure will have 40%. So I don't know if I've managed to be clear on this, but it is true that there is not an amount set at the beginning. That is true, but our calculation. And here I go back to this other slide. Our calculation is that if there has to be a minimum amount, which is dedicated to at least 14% to the social objective, and the Commission will make sure that that we will not accept plans which don't reach the 14%.”
EU expenditure on social policy · Funding for vocational training · Youth employment & training
- “Last point, which is, I mean, maybe you're not so interested, but we get asked this a lot because in the current ESF we also have some thematic concentration. And this thematic concentration. For example, you have to invest 25% on social inclusion, uh, 3% on material assistance for child guarantee and the Youth Guarantee. The countries, which has a high level of child poverty or a high level of youth unemployment, they have to invest in these areas. And this is not included in the ESF regulation, which, as you know, the logic we have is to have much more flexibility. So we mentioned these these are mentioned in the recitals, but then it will be in the bilateral negotiation with the with the Commission that it will be the, you know, the the numbers will be fixed without having a specific thematic concentration ex-ante for all the countries. To be honest, we're not this all of these thematic concentration were largely reached by all the member states. So it was not really so much, uh, a constraint. So when that's uh, just to to be clear, I'm sorry, I think I spoke. Thank you. Thank you. Sorry. I'm happy to.”
Child poverty policy · Cohesion and rural funding · Youth employment & training
- “I think it takes actually to do this auditing of the managing authorities by the commission. So, um, this is, uh, where we we stand, the advantage. I mean, it is an instrument which is highly targeted, focusing only on vulnerable groups. So energy, poverty, transport, poverty. And how also this for vulnerable individuals and micro-enterprises. Um, it is about the impact. So how these vulnerable people are impacted by the increase of energy and transport prices because of the introduction of ETS two and the list of indicators of indicators that can be used is closed. It's very clear how they can get reimbursement, because it's decided that attaching a payment value to every operation. And uh, and this, uh, they can submit as many payment requests as they want. Once they I mean, when when they achieve a target, they can submit a payment request. So we think it's a relatively easy, streamlined model. Now we are now at the phase. Perhaps we can have the next slide. Can you just go one slide further. Ah, yes. Okay. I think you have no go back. I just missed that slide. Never mind. It's in a slightly different order than what I have. Um, on the involvement of stakeholders. I think that's a very important another important point different from the recovery and resilience facility, more similar to cohesion policy. It's important that there is meaningful consultation of stakeholders. Now in this case, consultation of stakeholders is certainly regional and local authorities, but it is also other kinds of stakeholders.”
Carbon leakage support · Cohesion and rural funding · European Globalisation Adjustment Fund
- “So we want to help them to invest, to isolate their dwellings so that then they will have lower energy costs. There is a transition. And during this transition, of course, there will be direct income support. But the objective is to have investments which improve the energy efficiency, which improve the mobility of these people so that they don't have to be poor and to energy poor or transport poor because they have solutions. So this is the key point that the investments have to be sustainable. And this is what we are discussing with the member States. And therefore, since they have to be sustainable and like the last question, the last speaker mentioned that we need, they have to take into account different communities. The situation is very different in different, not only in different countries, but even within the same region. It's quite a different situation for rural areas and urban areas, for some very deprived areas in the cities and others. So we are in these discussions. We are going very much at the local level and discussing also with state. That's why I mentioned before also the importance of discussing with mayors, for example, because it's important to really take into account the reality on the ground and for example, electric vehicles or social leasing make sense? Where there is no public transport, they make less sense. Where there is public transport. We would prefer to invest in better access to everybody, to public transport on the sea. You replied already? Uh, yeah. I think that's more or less what was left for me. Sorry.”
Energy efficiency · Energy performance of buildings · EU housing policy
- “Awareness raising and information measures also is very important because also in the design of these measures, it is important that they are actually accessible to the most vulnerable groups, which tend to be also less informed of a system that you can use to renovate your house and things like that, and same kind of things for transport, poverty. In transport, poverty, there are the two big categories collective investments, which are about public transport in in cities or on demand transport, typically for rural areas. And then there is also individual investment. So the support for buying or leasing electric vehicles as far as uh as um measures targeting vulnerable micro enterprises, there also a lot on the on zero and low emission vehicles, some on building renovation, decarbonization and uh. Generation of renewable energy or storage of renewable energies for micro enterprises. So these are more or less, uh, the areas that we are looking at. Next slide. Yeah. This is anticipating. So a question what happens in the next MFF because the current, uh, current social climate fund is out of the budget. It's is external. External assigned revenue, and it is planned for the period 26 to 32, which does not match with the MFF. So the commission proposal is that member states can either, uh, is that the Social Climate Fund should be integrated in the national and regional partnership plans as a separate chapter. Now, within this integration, however, the integration maintains the focus, the goal, the objective of all the measures, everything that concerns the Social Climate Fund remains the same.”
Road transport environmental policy · Energy performance of buildings
- “Thank you very much and good evening, everybody. Thank you for inviting us. I'm here joined by my colleague Marcos Gonzalez Alvarez from DG clima. I am Director of Funds in DG employment. We just to make it very visible that we implement this fund together. Now the fund is actually starting to operate in next year in 2026. But member states are already putting together the plan if you want to take the next slide. So as as has already been said, it's about supporting vulnerable groups. Uh, it addresses in particular vulnerable people affected by energy poverty or transport poverty and vulnerable micro-enterprises. Actually it is the the The fund is directly linked to the implementation of the ETS two, and in fact, ETS two should start in operation in 2027. And the idea is that the fund starts operating for 2026. Exactly. To prepare for, uh, for the implementation of ETS two. It has a budget of 65 billion, which is, uh, but there has to be a member state contribution of at least 25%, which brings a total of 86.7 billion, is our expectation. Now, what can be financed concretely if you look at the next slide. As I said, uh, well, perhaps I didn't say it actually. So this there are three kinds of investments which are possible supports support investments in energy efficiency, notably renovation of buildings, clean heating and cooling supporting in low Emission, mobility and transport, including public transport, and also it is also possible to provide temporary income temporary direct income support to vulnerable houses.”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme · Carbon leakage support · Energy efficiency
- “Member states can choose. There's one thing that can change is that member states can choose whether they want to keep direct management, management for the Social Climate Fund, or whether they want to move to shared management, which would be the case for all the rest of the NPS. It's a question of whether they prefer to align with all the rest of things. So they only have one method of financing for all the funds, or whether they prefer to continue like they have done. If they start in 26, like they would have already done for two years. So this is basically but the, the, the core of the fund, what it can finance, how it can be financed and all that would remain the same. Um, voila. I think that's, uh, that's the key point that I wanted to mention. Um, I want to do also to, um, say that in, in general, uh, we have in the regulation also a provision for, um, discussing, I mean, a structured dialogue. I think it's called with you, I mean, with the European Parliament. So of course, we I mean, I thank you very much for this invitation, but I guess from 2026 we would go in the mode structured dialogue, though I don't think it will change very much from what we're doing now. But that's it. Thank you.”
EU expenditure on social policy · Cohesion and rural funding · Conditions to access EU budget
- “Um, for example, that that uh, those that work specifically like on greening and um, you know, particularly careful, uh, energy communities, for example. So there's a lot of other stakeholders which need to be involved, and of course, youth associations, social partners, civil society organisations. And uh, this is we are we will check when we receive the plans that there has been a meaningful, meaningful involvement of the stakeholders. And also, we encourage that they are involved throughout the implementation as well. Um next slide. Uh, yeah. This one. Yes. Uh, so here are a few examples of, of so I mean, we are currently discussing with the member states their plans. There's only two member states that have formally submitted the plans, but there is a very intense, um, discussions with most of them. And therefore we have a vague idea of what we assume will be in the plans, although we don't yet have a complete vision because they haven't been we're still in negotiating negotiating mode. So as I said before, um, uh, we have uh, there is not so much on, on, uh, direct income support. There is a bit, but not so much. Most of the measures are in the area of energy, poverty, transport, poverty and support to vulnerable micro-enterprises. Structural measures. So for energy poverty, they are looking at energy efficiency renovations, construction of new buildings or repurposing of existing ones, decarbonisation of heating, cooling and cooking systems, renewable energy generation and storage.”
Energy efficiency · Energy performance of buildings
- “This time I go first. Um, wait, I have to focus on the questions of this round. Yes. Um, okay. So, um, so perhaps I take your question first. Shared management is what it is now for cohesion policy. For cohesion policy, let's say. Which means that it is the, the the checking. I mean, the decision on what to spend and the checking on how it is spent is done by the national regional authorities. So all of this is done at the level of the national authorities. And the there are two levels, let's say, and after. And the Commission pays on the basis of a report which is done by the national regional authorities. While in direct management, the Commission pays on the basis of of the direct directly. Let's say if you want on the projects. So the national authorities like coordinate. But they're not decision makers in in the payment phase. That's mainly the biggest difference. I'm sure I haven't explained it very well, to be honest, but I gave it my best. Um, okay. My colleague says that I managed. All right. Um, then on the issue of, uh, of, um, there was another point on all the issue of the estimations on the definitions. So I have to clearly say that there isn't a common definition.”
Size of EU budget · Cohesion and rural funding · Conditions to access EU budget
- “Yes. So perhaps I go back to the initial point, a question which is about the the fact that the plans have to target the most vulnerable. And as already said in the presentation, the, the idea is that the Social Climate Fund starts Working in 2026, while ETS will only be ETS two, revenue will only start to be collected in 2027, and the idea is really that it is possible to already have structural measures in 2026, which are about energy efficiency and therefore that the the structural measures can already intervene from the beginning to help, as Lenka said, to increase our energy efficiency also of the most vulnerable households, so that the cost for the people is not, in fact for the most vulnerable, is not, in fact felt. That's the idea. I mean, that's why we are starting before the actual collection, the actual start of the S two. And as was said, it is E two revenues are partially part going to the Social Climate Fund, but the majority of them stay with the member states, which can spend them as they want. I mean, they also have no specific reason, Um, you know, obligation to spend them in any way.”
Extension of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme · Energy efficiency · Minimum income harmonisation at EU level